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Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Decline of Decency

I may be paraphrasing a bit, but it’s from a Facebook
status I put up pretty early in the day regarding something I experienced recently.

I was originally going to post about achieving another
one of my 2013 Continuous Goals. Yes, I
still plan on doing that, but I want to get this negative stench out first.

After achieving one of the continuous, I came back from
that high to discover that my personal property had been violated.

Usually, if I have to catch the train to go somewhere, I
would get the money together to take the bus to the train station and then
catch the train.

However, since I was getting
treated to dinner and didn't know quite how long dinner was going to be, I
opted to drive my car to the train station parking lot. I figured the $11 in parking would be a good
investment to save in the aggravation of paying a taxi to take me back or to
wait for up to an hour for the next bus to arrive at the station to take me to
my house.

Not in this scenario.

I know the protocol about hiding one’s valuable things,
especially in areas that are a bit sketchier than others. I took the precaution of placing my GPS
underneath the seat, prior to my getting out, locking the door, and taking my
train. Maybe the cord it was attached to
didn't get the same amount of tucking—so who knows whether the vandal saw the
GPS cord, saw a little bit of the GPS sticking out, or a combination of both.

In any case, I come back to find the passenger side of my
car window busted out and my GPS missing.
Nothing else missing, just the GPS.
I did report the incident to the cops—maybe they will be able to
apprehend the culprit and see some activity going on with the cameras.

However, I’m not going to hold my breath. For one, the rain. For two, the amount of shrubbery surrounding
the parking lot. For three, the fog. All those factors could impact the camera
visibility, so they may not be able to even catch the guy who did it.

Needless to say, I’m f**kingpissed heated,
and it’s not that I’m really heated about the GPS. The GPS I had since 2008. It was one of the older ones that don’t have
the free updated maps for a lifetime feature.
Plus, the battery was messing up a lot on it anyway, and it was due for
a replacement.

It’s the fact that I can’t have my car parked in a paid
parking spot without coming back to someone messing with it. It’s the fact that I never had to deal with
any type of vandalism in any other place I have lived at, yet once I moved to
my current location, I had to be exposed to this.

Yet, some people get aggravated when I speak of how I’m
adjusted to living.

I’m used to living
in a peaceful space. I’m used to living
in a safe space. My origins consisted of
neighbors who watched each others’ backs, who checked on each other, and who
reported suspicious activity and even stopped it—for they realized that if that
vandal violated one person, then who’s to say he wouldn't violate or disrespect
someone else’s things? We had each
others’ backs.

It wasn’t this whole attitude of, “Whatever. Better you than me.” Of course that changes when the tragedy
becomes personal. I just feel like it shouldn't
have to be in your face and in your own back yard for you to feel
impacted.

I feel it in my own soul that one of my own violated me.

It hurts more when the violation comes from your own
people---to try to encourage an ocean of unity where there are so many waves of
“can’t act right.” Could
have been strung out on drugs and needed money to get a fix. Could have been just a young kid trying
to make a fast buck. Whatever the case, I sense it was one of my
own, yet those same ones want to act outraged when I speak on how my living
experiences have been ten times more positive when I lived back in the Sip
(rural), when I lived in Georgia (rural/suburbia), and when I lived in my old
spot back in the East Windsor (suburbia) area.

Yet, when I move to a city which is filled with my people,
I have to deal with this and this marks the pinnacle of situations I have had
to deal with since living in Trenton. It’s
unfortunate because from what older people have told me, Trenton used to be
such a beautiful place to be. Now, it’s
a place that everyone is trying to get away.
Even the somewhat good spots aren't good anymore.

I’m at that place, too.
Now, more than ever.

My being thankful that nothing else was stolen: that will
come.

My being thankful the car itself wasn't stolen: that will
come.

My being thankful that it wasn't me or that nothing
happened to me: that will come.

I’m not at that spot right now. I’m aggravated because money I had for one
thing I now have to put towards something else.
I’m pissed someone stole from me.

I’m tired beyond belief of n**ger shyt.

Because this act comes from a place of
ignorance. I’m just calling it like I
see it.